1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utility or carrier racks for use on vehicles and, more particularly, to a novel rooftop load-carrying rack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of utility racks are known for carrying various equipment over the rooftop of a vehicle. Typically, the utility rack consists of a bridge member which extends transversally above the roof of the vehicle and which is detachably secured at its opposite ends to the body of the vehicle, such as to the door frames or to the gutters of the vehicle. The utility rack is adapted for releasably securing thereon various often sport-related equipment, e.g., skis, bicycles, etc.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,955 issued on May 26, 1992 to Dallaire et al. discloses a ski rack comprising a support base member having one or more adjustable ski retention posts secured thereto and extending vertically thereabove. One or more abutment members extend vertically from the base member and are disposed in a spaced aligned relationship with respective ones of the retention posts. The retention posts each have flexible biasing fingers which project toward the abutment members in a ski-receiving space defined between the posts and the abutment members for applying clamping pressure against a pair of skis support on the base member in the ski-receiving space. A bridge member extends above and across the abutment members and the retention posts. Attachment elements are disposed adjacent opposed ends of the ski rack for securing the same to a vehicle and, more particularly, a strap which extends longitudinally throughout the bridge member of the ski rack is provided at its ends protruding from the ski rack with hook which are adapted to be engaged with the gutters of the vehicle with the strap comprising an intermediate rubber section within the housing of the bridge member, whereby once the hooks have been engaged on the gutters, the resilient rubber strap urges the hooks inwardly towards the ski rack thereby firmly securing the ski rack to the vehicle's gutters.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,195 issued on Aug. 11, 1992 to Walter, there is disclosed a utility rack attachable to the rooftop of vehicle of various sizes. More particularly, the utility rack includes a carrier bar containing a hollow compartment. A rubber band or a spring inside this hollow compartment is attached at either end (or at both ends thereof) to a non-elastic strap which extends from the hollow compartment and outside of the carrier bar to hooks or other anchoring devices which can be detachably secured to anchor points on the vehicle and, more particularly, to the vehicle door frames. Locking mechanisms are mounted on the carrier bar to lock the non-elastic straps to the carrier bar by a pawl mechanism or by a pin. Therefore, the utility rack is positioned on the vehicle rooftop and the non-elastic straps are then pulled by their respective hooks such as to engage these hooks to the anchor points of the vehicle with the rubber band resiliently urging the hooks inwardly towards the carrier bar for securing the utility rack to the vehicle. Then, the locking of the non-elastic straps to the carrier bar is achieved by actuating a pawl and ratchet mechanism or a pin-perforated strap locking mechanism and, more particularly, these locking mechanisms are actuated by the pivot of a pair of arms of the utility rack which are used to hold gear thereon.